Price reductions are commonplace in today's real estate market. Many days, they actually outnumber the number of closed sales & new pending sales. Price reductions happen because the seller or real estate agent overestimated the market value of the property in the beginning and the buyers reject it. Dropping the price is not necessarily a bad thing, it happens. But, the key reason to drop the price is to spark some interest, generate some activity, and hopefully, an offer. Many times though the seller only … [Read more...]
Getting Pre-Approved For The Loan, Not As Boring As It Sounds
January 16, 2009 by Leave a Comment
It goes with out saying that the getting a loan could be the biggest factor in determining whether or not a buyer is able to successfully close on a property. Along with a home or property inspection, I would say that 80% or more of the challenges that come up in buying a home in Big Bear fall into these two areas. Paying cash? Great, but you are one of the very few these days. With tighter lender standards in this market, especially in the jumbo loan category (over $417,000 for my area), getting your loan in … [Read more...]
Giving Out My Real Estate Thanks
November 26, 2008 by Leave a Comment
Even though the real estate market has seen much better days, I believe there is still plenty to be thankful for in the world of real estate. [viddler id=90c5a3a9&w=545&h=349] Have a great Thanksgiving everyone! … [Read more...]
Pricing Your Big Bear Home – Get Ahead Of The Buyer Train
November 18, 2008 by 5 Comments
One of the most common mistakes sellers make in this market is overpricing their home. It is human nature to think ours is better than the others. In real estate however, the numbers speak for themselves. The quote, "Liars figure, but figures never lie" seems appropriate. The biggest risk with overpricing a home now is that every month the home in on the market the price moves farther down, sometimes 1-2% (for Big Bear) per month. Many times sellers start out too high, and then reduce only to see that they are … [Read more...]
Can I Keep The Buyer’s Deposit If They Cancel The Deal?
November 7, 2008 by Leave a Comment
This question always seems to come up from a seller when the buyer decides to back out of a real estate transaction or purchase. The answer to the question, as with a lot of real estate related questions, is "it all depends." Take a look below for my answer. [viddler id=ae8a8b4&w=437&h=368] Like the video above? Check out some of my other video posts. Related Articles Let's Be Earnest When Talking About A Good Faith Deposit … [Read more...]
Pricing A Property In Big Bear – Follow Your Real Estate Gut
November 3, 2008 by 1 Comment
Pricing a property in Big Bear is a lot different than your standard tract home or primary home location. The fact is that the properties in Big Bear can be dramatically different, even when they are in the same location. We have many areas with big homes next to small homes, old homes next to new homes, homes on the lake and homes off it, homes with ski slopes views and home with out a view. There are very few locations that contain homes with a lot of commonality between them. Areas with upscale, newer homes … [Read more...]
What’s More Important, Asking Price or Sales Incentives?
November 1, 2008 by Leave a Comment
Every seller is looking for a way to get their home sold in this market. With only 1 out of every 15-20 Big Bear homes selling every month, it is understandable to want to try every possible strategy. One question that comes up a lot is whether to offer sales incentives to help entice more showings and a buyer. The most common types of these incentives include a buyer's agent bonus, raised selling commission, and the seller paying some closing costs for the buyer. While offering sales incentives can help a … [Read more...]
